Accessing or interconnecting integrated circuits

ABSTRACT

Multiple integrated circuits (ICs) die, from different wafers, can be picked-and-placed, front-side planarized using a vacuum applied to a planarizing disk, and attached to each other or a substrate. The streets between the IC die can be filled, and certain techniques or fixtures allow application of monolithic semiconductor wafer processing for interconnecting different die. High density I/O connections between different IC die can be obtained using structures and techniques for aligning vias to I/O structures, and programmably routing IC I/O lines to appropriate vias. Existing IC die can be retrofitted for such interconnection to other IC die, such as by using similar techniques or tools.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/623,165, which was filed on Feb. 16, 2015, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/060,057 which was filed on Oct. 22,2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/351,142, which was filed on Jan. 16, 2012, which is a divisional ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/612,256, which was filed on Nov. 4,2009, which is a continuation-in-part of PCT/US2008/062163, which wasfiled on May 1, 2008, which claims priority to U.S. provisionalapplication 60/927,607, which was filed on May 4, 2007, the benefit ofpriority of each of which is claimed herein, and each of which isincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent document pertains generally to semiconductor integratedcircuits and assemblies, and more particularly, but not by way oflimitation, to systems and methods related to accessing or combining oneor more integrated circuits.

BACKGROUND

As integrated circuits (ICs) become more complex, their usefulness maybe limited by the number of inputs or outputs (I/O) provided by the IC.Such inputs or outputs may be needed to interconnect a particular IC toone or more other integrated circuits, such as to build a multiple ICsystem. IC inputs or outputs typically involve use of bonding pads towhich respective wires or other connectors are bonded. Such I/O pads aretypically located on a top surface of the IC, and are usuallydistributed about the rectangular periphery of the IC.

OVERVIEW

The present inventors have recognized that one approach to increasingthe I/O capability of an IC would be to redistribute the I/O pads awayfrom the periphery of the IC, such as toward the center of the IC.However, using conventional semiconductor processing techniques, theresulting I/O pad density would still be limited by the relatively largesize of the I/O pads. For example, an I/O pad is typically sized largerthan a minimum-sized via opening in an insulator overlying the I/O pad.This is because the conductive pad material is typically used as anetch-stop to stop the insulator etching process that forms the via inthe insulator and over the pad. Therefore, the pad is typically madelarger than the via to allow for misalignment during manufacture. Thepresent inventors have recognized an unmet need for improved approachesfor increasing I/O capability of an IC, as well as for integratingmultiple ICs.

This document describes, among other things, how multiple integratedcircuits (ICs) die, from different wafers, can be picked-and-placed,front-side planarized using a vacuum applied to a planarizing disk, andattached to a substrate. The “streets” between the IC die can be filled,and certain techniques or fixtures allow application of monolithicsemiconductor wafer processing for interconnecting different die. Highdensity I/O connections between different IC die can be obtained usingstructures and techniques for aligning vias to I/O structures, andprogrammably routing IC I/O lines to appropriate vias. Existing IC diecan be retrofitted for such interconnection to other IC die, such as byusing similar techniques or tools.

This overview is intended to provide an overview of the subject matterof the present patent application. It is not intended to provide anexclusive or exhaustive explanation of the invention. The detaileddescription is included to provide further information about the subjectmatter of the present patent application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numeralsdescribe substantially similar components throughout the several views.Like numerals having different letter suffixes represent differentinstances of substantially similar components. The drawings illustrategenerally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, variousembodiments discussed in the present document.

FIG. 1 illustrates generally an example of certain aspects of a methodfor interconnecting multiple IC die.

FIG. 2A shows an illustrative example of any number of multiple IC die,with substantially planarized front sides.

FIG. 2B shows an illustrative example of covering planarized die with atape or other covering.

FIG. 2C shows an illustrative example of bumps in the streets, such asmay be left after a filler in the streets has cured.

FIG. 2D shows an illustrative example of a result of reducing a heightof street bumps.

FIG. 2E shows an illustrative example of a result of forming a firstinsulator over die fronts and over the remaining street bumps in thestreets.

FIG. 2F shows an illustrative example of a result of selectively formingvias in the first insulator.

FIG. 2G shows an illustrative example of a result of forming a firstconductive interconnect layer, such as by using semiconductor processingto interconnect different die.

FIG. 2H shows an illustrative example of a result of forming a secondinsulator layer.

FIG. 2I shows an illustrative example of a result of forming vias in thesecond insulator layer.

FIG. 2J shows an illustrative example of a result of forming a secondconductive interconnect layer.

FIG. 2K shows an illustrative example of a result of forming a thirdinsulator layer.

FIG. 2L shows an illustrative example of a result of forming vias in thethird insulator layer.

FIG. 3A shows an example of portion of a fixture for planarizingmultiple IC die, where such fixture includes an upper stage.

FIG. 3B shows an example of portion of the fixture for planarizingmultiple IC die, where such fixture includes a lower stage.

FIG. 3C shows an example of portions of the fixture for planarizingmultiple IC die, including showing examples of the upper and lowerstages together.

FIG. 4 is an illustrative example showing relative sizes of certainstructures that can be formed, such as by taking advantage of some ofthe techniques described.

FIG. 5A is an illustrative but non-limiting example of a three by eight(3>8) x-y grid array of twenty-four 8 μm by 8 μm vias shown overlayingan x-y grid array of underlying 2 μm by 2 μm I/O structures.

FIG. 5B provides an illustrative numbering for the vias of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C illustrates inclusion of an alignment target structure and analignment via.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating, such as for the example of FIGS.5A and 5B, routing IC I/O lines to vias.

FIG. 7 is a spatial representation, for the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B,of how many routing inputs are needed for each cell, which depends onhow many vias may potentially align with a particular cell.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an x-y alignment grid array of I/Ocontacts and an overlying alignment via.

FIG. 9 illustrates generally in more detail certain aspects of anillustrative example of portions of such a method of forming an assemblyof multiple laterally attached and planarized IC die.

FIGS. 10A-10H illustrate generally various stages of the method of FIG.9.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating generally an example ofusing the present technique to retrofit a connection to the existing ICdie.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a first and second integrated circuit diethat can include opposing working surfaces that can respectively includea plurality of bumped or raised connection structures.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a first integrated circuit die that caninclude a working surface that can include a plurality of bumped orraised I/O structures, and a second integrated circuit die that caninclude through-substrate via (TSV) structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description includes references to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description.The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in whichthe invention may be practiced. These embodiments are also referred toherein as “examples.” The embodiments may be combined in variouspermutations or combinations, other embodiments may be used, orstructural, logical and electrical changes may be made without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. The following detaileddescription is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and thescope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and anyequivalents to which such claims are legally entitled.

In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patentdocuments, to include one or more than one. In this document, the term“or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that “A or B” includes“A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated.Furthermore, all publications, patents, and patent documents referred toin this document are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety,as though individually incorporated by reference. In the event ofinconsistent usages between this document and those documents soincorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated reference(s)should be considered supplementary to that of this document; forirreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls.

This document describes, among other things, a process forinterconnecting multiple ICs, as well as certain new and useful devices.The present inventors have recognized that the process ofinterconnecting multiple ICs can take advantage of certain aspects ofhigh density semiconductor processing techniques that were previouslylimited to use with a single monolithic semiconductor wafer. Asdiscussed below, the present inventors have, among other things,overcome certain obstacles to applying monolithic semiconductor waferprocessing techniques to multiple diced ICs—that need not come from thesame monolithic semiconductor wafer.

Some Processing and Other Examples

FIG. 1 illustrates generally an example of certain aspects of a methodfor interconnecting multiple IC die. At 102, multiple IC die are placedonto a carrier. In certain examples, the carrier includes a portion ofadhesive tape, for example, having one side of the tape that isadhesive, and the other side of the tape being non-adhesive. In certainexamples, an arrangement of IC die are placed onto the carrier, such asonto the adhesive side of the tape. The back or bottom side of each ICdie (e.g., “die backs”) temporarily adheres to the tape. The die backsusually do not have the IC circuitry. Instead, the IC circuitry aretypically formed on the front or top of the IC die (e.g., “die fronts”)Placing the IC die on the adhesive tape can be done using acommercially-available IC die pick-and-place machine. The individual ICdie need not have the identical front-to-back thickness. As anillustrative example, such a pick-and-place machine may have an accuracyof about +/−(20 to 35) μm, and can yield placement variations in x or ydirections of a conceptual x-y grid on the tape, or in variations inangular orientation (“θ” variations).

At 104, the die fronts of the individual IC die are substantiallyplanarized with respect to each other. In certain examples, thisinvolves placing the die fronts against a planarizing flat surface. Theflat surface can include through-holes, such as through which a vacuumcan be applied. Applying such a vacuum will help draw the IC die frontstoward the planar surface. The vacuum can be used to hold the IC diefronts against the planar surface. This will make the die fronts of thevarious IC die substantially planar to each other.

In certain examples, the planarizing surface includes a semiconductorwafer through which through-holes have been created. In certainexamples, the through-holes can be created using photolithography topattern a layer of photoresist (PR) to create through-hole definingfeatures on a semiconductor wafer at desired intervals (e.g., intervalsforming a 3 mm grid, as a purely illustrative and non-limiting example).A chemical etchant (e.g., KOH) can be used to etch or otherwise createthe through-holes such that they extend all the way through thesemiconductor wafer. Either side of the semiconductor wafer can then beused as the planar surface for planarizing die fronts at 104. As anillustrative example, the planarizing wafer can be held in place in afixture. A vacuum can be applied to one side of the planarizing wafer.The die fronts can be planarized against the other side of theplanarizing wafer.

At 106, the adhesive tape or other carrier is removed from the diebacks. For example, where the carrier is adhesive tape, the tape ispeeled away from the die backs. This leaves the multiple die properlypositioned (e.g., by the previous pick-and-place), with the die frontssubstantially planarized to each other and vacuum-held against theplanarizing surface. Because the various IC die need not be of the samethickness, the die backs need not be planar to each other—even thoughthe die fronts are planar to each other.

At 108, a die-attachment is placed onto a substrate for carrying themultiple IC die. In certain examples, a semiconductor wafer can be usedas the substrate. The positioned and front-side planarized multiple ICdie can be mounted to the substrate, such as by using an adhesivedie-attachment. In certain examples, placing the die-attachment onto thesubstrate includes placing on the substrate a desired amount of adhesive(such as Epotek H70E-4 die attachment epoxy, which has a low coefficientof thermal expansion (CTE)). In certain examples, the adhesive need onlybe placed at those particular locations on the substrate where the dieare to be mounted. Thinner die can be mounted to the substrate usingmore adhesive than for the thicker die. This will accommodate thegreater spacing between the die back of a thinner die and the substrate,such as when the die fronts held substantially planar to each other.

At 110, the positioned and front-side planarized multiple IC die areattached to the substrate, such as by using the adhesive. As anillustrative example, a fixture can be used to lower the planarizingsurface toward the substrate. This will allow the die to adhere to thesubstrate such that the die fronts are planar to each other. One or moresilicon or other spacers on the fixture can be used to control how farthe planarizing surface can be lowered. This can be used to establish adesired separation distance between the planarizing surface and a topsurface of the substrate. After the adhesive cures, the vacuum can bereleased. Then, the fixture can be used to lift the planarizing surfaceaway from the front sides of the multiple IC. FIG. 2A shows anillustrative example of any number of multiple IC die 200A-C, withsubstantially planarized front sides. Their back sides are mounted tothe front side of a substrate 202, such as by respective adhesiveportions 204A-C, in this example. As a purely illustrative andnon-limiting example of typical dimensions, the thickness of aparticular one or more of the IC die 200 can be about 9 mils (1 mil=25.4μm=1/1000 inch), the thickness of an adhesive portion 204 can be about 1mil, and a spacing of the streets 206 between adjacent die 200 can beabout 1 mil. At 112 of FIG. 1, the streets 206 around the individual die200 are filled with a filler substance. In certain examples, thisinvolves first covering the planarized die 200 with a tape or othercovering 208, such as shown in FIG. 2B. Next, the filler is introducedinto the streets 206 between the die 200. In certain examples, thefiller is injected laterally, such as into the streets 206. The fillercan have a low viscosity (such as, for example, #377 low viscosity epoxyfrom Epotek) such that the filler flows (or even wicks) into orotherwise fills the streets 206. In certain examples, the filler canalso fill certain unoccupied portions under the die 200, such as theportions around the adhesive portions 204. After the filler has cured,the tape or other covering 208 is removed. This can leave bumps 210 inthe streets 206, such as shown in the example of FIG. 2C. These streetbumps 210 typically rise above the planarized die fronts of the multipleIC die 200. The height of the street bumps 210 above the planarized diefronts of the multiple IC die 200 can be trimmed or otherwise reduced,if needed, such that the bump height falls within an acceptable depth offield for later-used semiconductor processing equipment (e.g.,photolithography), such as discussed below.

At 112 of FIG. 1, the covering 208 of FIG. 2B provides a convenient wayof keeping the filler in the streets and off of the front sides of themultiple IC die 200. However, the covering 208 is not required. Inanother example, a machine-positionable needle can be used to inject thefiller into the streets 206 from the top, such as in the absence of thetape or other covering 208. A distal tip of the needle can beautomatically moved along or through some or all of the streets 206,such as to dispense the filler into the streets 206.

At 114, if the height of the street bumps 210 above the planarized diefronts of the multiple IC die 200 exceeds an acceptable depth of field(about 1.0 μm, as an illustrative and non-limiting example) forlater-used semiconductor processing equipment (e.g., photolithography),then the height of the street bumps 210 can be reduced, such as bychemical mechanical planarization (CMP), to a value that is acceptablefor the later semiconductor processing. An illustrative example of theresulting structure is shown at FIG. 2D.

At 116 of FIG. 1, a first insulator 212 (such as shown in FIG. 2E) isformed over the die fronts of the die 200 and over the remaining streetbumps 210 in the streets 206. In an illustrative example, this includesspinning-on the insulator (such as an about 1 μm to 5 μm thick layer ofAvatrel® from Promerus LLC of Brecksville, Ohio). The Avatrel® firstinsulator 212 can be cured, such as at about 160-180 degrees Celsius.Avatrel® provides elasticity to spread stress, and has similardielectric properties to SiO₂. In certain other examples, the firstinsulator 212 can be polyamide, benzocyclobutene (BCB), SiO₂ or thelike.

At 118 of FIG. 1, vias 216 (such as shown in FIG. 2F) can be selectivelyformed in the first insulator 212. The vias 216 can be definedphotolithographically. For example, Avatrel® is a negative photoresist(PR) material. Therefore, unexposed portions of Avatrel® can beselectively removed. Thus, portions of the first insulator at which vias216 are desired can be shielded by a reticle during photolithographicexposure to light. Such unexposed portions will form the vias 216.Photolithographic via formation may involve exercising care that lightreflection from underlying metal pads does not overexpose the overlyingportions of the first insulator 212 at which the vias 216 are desired,thereby shrinking the size of the resulting vias 216 beyond a desiredsize.

Notably, creating the vias 216 photolithographically (e.g., as opposedto using reactive ion etching (RIE) to create the vias 216) allows a via216 to be made larger than an underlying metal I/O pad on an IC die 200,if desired. By contrast, RIE generally requires the underlying metal I/Opad on an IC die to be at least as large as (and typically larger than)the overlying via (to allow for registration misalignment), since theunderlying metal pad is typically used as an etch stop for the RIEprocess that creates the via.

At 120 of FIG. 1, a first conductive interconnect layer 218 (such asshown in FIG. 2G) is created, such as by using semiconductor processing(ordinarily applied to monolithic semiconductor wafers, rather than toan arrangement of picked-and-placed IC die), such as to permit formationof one or more conductive interconnection lines between different die200. This typically involves metal deposition of the first conductiveinterconnect layer 218, such as within the vias 216 and elsewhere,followed by selective patterning of the first conductive interconnectlayer 218 to form or pattern one or more desired conductiveinterconnection lines.

At 122 of FIG. 1, a second insulator layer 220 (such as shown in FIG.2H) is created, such as described above with respect to the formation ofthe first insulator layer 212, or by using another semiconductorprocessing insulator formation technique.

At 124 of FIG. 1, vias 222 (such as shown in FIG. 2I) are created in thesecond insulator layer 220, such as described above with respect to theformation of the vias 216 or by using another semiconductor processingvia formation technique.

At 126 of FIG. 1, a second conductive interconnect layer 224 (such asshown in FIG. 2J) is created using a semiconductor processing technique,such as to permit formation of conductive interconnection lines betweendifferent die 200. This typically involves metal deposition of thesecond conductive interconnect layer 224, such as within the vias 216and elsewhere, followed by selective patterning of the second conductiveinterconnect layer 224 to form or pattern the desired conductiveinterconnection lines.

At 128 of FIG. 1, a third insulator layer 226 (such as shown in FIG. 2K)is created, such as described above with respect to the formation of thesecond insulator layer 226, or by using another semiconductor processinginsulator formation technique.

At 130 of FIG. 1, vias 228 (such as shown in FIG. 2L) are created in thethird insulator layer 226, such as described above with respect to theformation of the vias 216 or 222, or by using another semiconductorprocessing via formation technique.

After forming such interconnections between different IC die 200attached to the same substrate, the resulting multi-die integratedassemblies can be singulated, and the resulting multi-die units can beused in any manner in which a conventional single IC die would otherwisebe used, if desired.

The above-described process can be used to create high densityinterconnections between individual die 200. Since semiconductor waferprocessing techniques are used to form interconnections between theindividual IC die 200, the pitch between the inter-die interconnectionscan be the same or similar to the pitch between lines on the same ICdie. This can effectively break down I/O barriers between die, allowingfor greatly expanded functionality of a multiple IC die system. It canalso obtain inter-die interconnection having the lower capacitance andfaster speed on the order of that of an intra-die circuitinterconnection. Moreover, it can save on pad space, thereby reducingdie size and, in turn, reducing the size of a multiple-die system.

Furthermore, as discussed below, the above techniques can be used tocreate some rather unique and interesting structures, such as forprogrammably accessing one or more individual vias in a high densityarray of vias. This permits desired high-density connections to aparticular IC die to be made even though that die was positioned usingconventional pick & place equipment of limited alignment accuracy, suchas discussed above. Still further, these and other techniques may beused to retrofit existing IC die, such as to connect individualminimum-linewidth or other fine or other lines on such die to other ICdie.

Some Fixtures and Other Examples

FIG. 3A shows an example of portion of a fixture for planarizingmultiple IC die 200, such as can be arranged and mounted on adhesivetape, as desired, such as by a pick-and-place apparatus, such asdescribed above. In this example, an upper stage 300 can be raised orlowered, such as along one or more posts 302 or other guides. One ormore vacuum ports 304A-B allow this example to deliver a vacuum, such asto one or more lumen or channel vacuum pathways 306A-B. In this example,one or more ports 308 can be distributed along one or more of thepathways 306. The ports 308 allow the vacuum to be applied to a flatplanarizing disk 310, such as for holding the flat planarizing disk 310in place against the upper stage 300. In certain examples, the flatplanarizing disk 310 includes a semiconductor wafer through whichpinholes 312 have been drilled, etched, or otherwise created. Thepinholes 312 can be created on a two-dimensional grid or otherarrangement that provides enough density of pinholes 312 to hold thearrangement of multiple IC die against the flat planarizing disk 310. Inthis example, a vacuum port 314 allows delivery of a vacuum to at leastone lumen or channel vacuum pathway 316, which delivers the vacuum to arecessed chamber 318 region and, in turn, to the pinholes 312 in theflat planarizing disk 310 for holding the arrangement of multiple IC dieagainst the planarizing disk 310. In certain examples, the vacuum isdelivered from the recessed chamber 318 region to the pinholes 312 inthe planarizing disk 310 via corresponding pinholes 313 in a barrierbetween the recessed chamber 318 and the planarizing disk 310. Whileapplying a separate vacuum to port 314 than to ports 304A-B provides aconvenient way to individually adjust the applied vacuum pressures, itis not required.

FIG. 3B shows an example of another portion of the planarization fixtureof FIG. 3A. In this example, a lower stage 320 can be arranged withrespect to the upper stage 300, such as by using the one or more guidesor posts 302 so that the upper stage 300 can be raised and lowered withrespect to the lower stage 320. One or more vacuum ports 322A-B allowthis example to deliver a vacuum to one or more lumen or channel vacuumpathways 324A-B. In this example, one or more vacuum ports 326, such asdistributed along one or more of the vacuum pathways 324A-B. The vacuumports 326 allow the vacuum to be applied to the flat semiconductor waferor other removable substrate 202, such as for holding the substrate 202in place against a portion of the lower stage 320. In certain examples,a recessed flat portion 328 is milled or otherwise formed in the lowerstage 320, such as to accommodate the substrate 202, however, this isnot required. Planarized IC die can be adhered to substrate 202, as suchby using the process described above with respect to 110 of FIG. 1. Inthis example, one or more channels 330 are provided in an otherwisesubstantially flat surface of the lower stage 320, such as including therecessed portion 328. The channels 330 help ease liftoff of thesubstrate 320 from the lower stage 320, such as after the planarized ICdie are adhered to the substrate 202, and the upper stage 300 is raisedaway from the lower stage 320.

FIG. 3C is a side view showing an example of a fixture 340 that includesthe upper stage 300 riding on the guides or posts 302 extending upwardfrom the lower stage 320. The flat planarizing disk 310 is shown heldagainst the upper stage 300, such as by a vacuum applied via thechannels 306 and the ports 308. A pick-and-placed arrangement ofmultiple IC die 200 is shown being held with the front sides of themultiple IC die 200 being held in planarity against the planarizing disk310, after the adhesive tape 208 has been removed, such as describedwith respect to 106 of FIG. 1. After placing die attach adhesive indesired locations on the substrate 202 (or on the back sides of the ICdie 200 themselves), such as described with respect to 108 of FIG. 1,the upper stage 300 can be lowered toward the lower stage 320. Thispermits the front-side planarized IC die 200 to be attached to thesubstrate 202. The upper stage 300 can then be raised away from thelower stage 320, such as to allow extraction of the substrate 202 towhich the front-side planarized IC die 200 are attached. Otherprocessing can then be performed, such as described above with respectto 112-130 of FIG. 1.

Some Structures and Other Examples

FIG. 4 is an illustrative example showing relative sizes of certainstructures that can be formed, such as by taking advantage of some ofthe techniques described above. Among other things, FIG. 4 helps showhow such techniques can be used to significantly improve IC dieinput/output (I/O) density. FIG. 4 conceptually shows a typical 100 μmby 100 μm I/O bonding pad 402 and a typical 80 μm by 80 μm I/O bondingpad 404. Such typical bonding pads 402 and 404 will occupy considerablespace on an IC die. Moreover, if they are to be distributed around theperiphery of an IC die, the number of such I/O bonding pads will belimited by the size of such periphery. Even if such peripherylimitations are to be avoided, such as by moving the bonding pads awayfrom the IC die periphery, and toward the center of the IC die, such I/Odensity will still be limited by the large size of the I/O bonding pads402 and 404, which typically must be sized to accommodate a wire-bond orsolder ball-bond connection to an off-chip location, such as to alocation on a printed circuit board or another IC die.

By contrast, the FIGS. 1-3 describe how to use monolithic semiconductorwafer processing techniques to interconnect multiple IC die 200 that arepicked-and-placed, and that need not form part of the same monolithicsemiconductor wafer. This permits high density interconnection betweenthe multiple IC die 200, which, in turn, allows use of I/O structuresthat are significantly smaller than the bonding pads 402 and 404.

For example, FIG. 4 shows a two-dimensional array or othertwo-dimensional arrangement of conductive I/O structures 406 that can beformed on a particular IC die 200. In FIG. 4, the I/O structures 406 areillustrated as 2 μm by 2 μm—which are much smaller than the 100 μm by100 μm I/O bonding pad 402 or the 80 μm by 80 μm I/O bonding pad 404, asseen from the example of FIG. 4. Although I/O structures 406 areillustrated in FIG. 4 as being 2 μm by 2 μm, downward scaling of suchsize will be possible with any improvements in the particularsemiconductor process used to fabricate the IC die 200 on which the I/Ostructures 406 reside. In general, the I/O structures 406 can be sizedas small as a “minimum size” design-rule (for the particularsemiconductor process) specified for the uppermost conductive intra-dieinterconnection layer (or for whatever intra-die interconnection layeris being used to form the I/O structures 406). For example, if thesemiconductor process used to form the IC die 200 includes three-layersof “metal” interconnection on the IC die 200 (including a first formedmetal layer (“M1”), an overlying second formed metal layer (“M2”), and afurther overlying third metal layer (“M3”)), then if the I/O structures406 are to be formed using selectively patterned portions of the M3layer, the I/O structures 406 can be sized as small as the minimumdesign rule for the M3 layer permits. However, the I/O structures 406need not be sized so small, but can be made larger, if desired. If theI/O structures 406 are to be formed using selectively patterned portionsof the M2 layer, then the design rule applicable to the M2 layer willlimit the minimum size of the I/O structures 406. Such sizes stand insharp contrast to the I/O bonding pads 402 and 404, which are typicallymany times larger, such as shown in FIG. 4, to allow connection to awire or solder-ball.

The I/O structures 406 can be used to interconnect between different ICdie 200 using certain monolithic semiconductor wafer processingtechniques. In certain examples, this involves using vias 216 in aninsulator 212 that overlies the I/O structures 406. In certain examples,a particular via 216 is actually made larger than the underlying I/Ostructure 406 to which it connects. As a result, in certain examples, aparticular via 216 actually contacts multiple underlying I/O structures406. However, the particular IC die 200 can be made programmable, suchas to selectively couple only one of these I/O structures 406 to theparticular overlying via 216 that contacts such multiple I/O structures406. As described above, having a via 216 that is actually larger thanthe underlying I/O structure 406 is unusual, because an etching-basedvia-formation process would typically require the underlying bonding pad402 or 404 to be larger than the overlying via, so that the underlyingbonding pad 402 or 404 can be used as an etch-stop. An etch-stop is moreresistant to the etchant than the overlying layer, such that when theetchant reaches the etch-stop, it does not significantly etch furtherunder typical processing conditions. By contrast, usingphotolithographic or other non-etching based via formation techniques toform the vias 216 will avoid any such need for an etch-stop. Thispermits a particular via 216 to be larger than the underlying structureto which it contacts.

Having a particular via 216 that is larger than an underlying I/Ostructure 406 allows the IC die 200 to be programmed such that the areaof a particular via 216 fully encompasses the particular underlying I/Ostructure 406 that is programmed to be accessed by the via 216. In theillustrative but non-limiting example of FIG. 4, each I/O structure 406is 2 μm by 2 μm, arranged in an two-dimensional x-y grid array, witheach I/O structure 406 separated from any adjacent I/O structure 406 bya 2 μm separation distance, also referred to as a “pitch.” Each via 216is shown in this illustrative example as being 8 μm by 8 μm, such that,when sufficiently aligned, the area of each via 216 can encompass fourunderlying 2 μm by 2 μm I/O structures 406. However, an x-y grid array(or other arrangement) of the vias 216 need not be perfectly aligned toan x-y grid array (or other arrangement) of the underlying I/Ostructures 406, such as explained further below.

FIG. 5A is an illustrative but non-limiting example of a three by eight(3×8) x-y grid array 501 of twenty-four 8 μm by 8 μm vias 216. FIG. 5Bprovides an illustrative numbering for this illustrative example of thevias 216. In this example, these twenty-four vias 216 (which can benumbered 0-23, as shown in FIG. 5B) are shown overlaying an x-y gridarray 500 of underlying 2 μm by 2 μm I/O structures 406. The areadefined by the x-y grid array of the I/O structures 406 is larger thanthe area defined by the x-y grid array of the vias 216. FIG. 5illustrates a particular illustrative example in which alignment errorbetween the x-y grid arrays of the vias 216 and x-y grid array of theI/O structures 406 (for example, due to pick-and-place errors at 102 ofFIG. 1 or other possible sources of misalignment) is less than or equalto +/−24 μm. As a result, the illustrated vias 216 can potentially landanywhere on the larger shown x-y grid array of underlying I/O structures406. For example, if the x-y grid array of the vias 216 could bemisaligned, so as to be shifted 24 μm to the left, to the right, upward,downward, left and upward, right and upward, left and downward, or rightand downward—and the entire array of vias 216 would still fall withinthe x-y grid array of the underlying I/O structures 406 shown, becauseof the larger size selected for the x-y grid array of the underlying I/Ostructures 406 to accommodate any such misalignment.

In the illustrative example of FIG. 5A, the I/O structures 406 are shownas being conceptually divided into 8 μm by 8 μm square or other cells502. Each cell 502 includes four I/O structures 406, in this example.Each cell 502 is adjacent to at least two other cells 502. Also noted inFIG. 5A on each cell 502, is a list of one or more vias 216 that couldpotentially land on that particular cell 502. For example, cell 502AAmay end up being aligned to via #2 (via numbering is shown in theseparate FIG. 5B to preserve the clarity of FIG. 5A), as may cells502BA, 502AB, and 502BB. Cells 502CA, 502CB, 502DA, and 502DB may end upbeing aligned to via #1 or via #2. FIG. 5A uses a shorthand letternotation for certain combinations of vias. For example, cell 502CK mayend up being aligned to “X”, where “X” is a shorthand notation thatrepresents vias #7, #8, #10, #11, #13, #14, #16, and #17, as indicatedon FIGS. 5A and 5B.

A particular IC die 200 can include programmable circuitry toprogrammably route a number of I/O lines on the particular IC die 200 tocorresponding vias 216. Since the illustrative example of FIGS. 5A and5B shows twenty-four such vias 216, in that example, up to twenty-fourI/O lines can be programmably routed to such vias—and this can beaccomplished in an area that is 160 μm by 88 μm, which is about 14,080μm². This provides an I/O density of about 587 μm² per I/O, whichcompares extremely well with the 10,000 μm² per I/O density of the 100μm by 100 μm bonding pad 402 of FIG. 4, or the 6,400 μm² per I/O densityof the 80 μm by 80 μm bonding pad 404 of FIG. 4. Moreover, the I/Odensity shown in FIG. 5 is scalable with improvements in semiconductorprocessing, while the size of the bonding pads 402 or 404 of FIG. 4 arelimited by wire-bonding solder-ball bonding, or similar limitations thatare believed likely more difficult to scale smaller in size.

FIG. 6 illustrates, such as for the example of FIG. 5A, at 600, a numberof I/O lines on a particular IC die 200. In the example of FIG. 5A,there would be twenty-four such I/O lines. At 602, such I/O lines arerouted to desired I/O structures 406. At 604, such I/O structures 406are programmably routed to the desired vias 216. In the example of FIG.5A, there would be twenty-four such vias.

FIG. 7 is a spatial representation, for the example of FIG. 5A, of howmany multiplexer select lines or other routing inputs are needed foreach cell 502, which, for a particular cell 502, depends on how manyvias 216 may potentially align with that particular cell 502, asillustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

To properly route the desired I/O lines on a particular IC die 200 tothe correct vias 216, it is useful to obtain information about what theactual alignment is between the vias 216 and the underlying I/Ostructures 406. Therefore, FIG. 5C illustrates inclusion of an alignmenttarget structure 503 and an alignment via 504, which is typicallysmaller than the other vias 216, but still larger than an underlying I/Ostructure 406. In the non-limiting example of FIG. 5C, the alignment via504 is illustrated as being 4 μm by 4 μm in size. The alignment targetstructure 504 (to which the alignment via 504 is typically positionablyaligned) is typically located such that the alignment target structure503 and the alignment via 504 lie outside of the pick-and-place or otheralignment error range (e.g., represented by the perimeter of the x-ygrid array 500 of the cells 502), and such that the alignment via 504falls within the alignment target structure 503. A more detailed exampleof an alignment target structure 503 is illustrated by an alignment gridarray 800, such as shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 5C illustrates an example ofmultiple alignment target structures 503A-B and corresponding alignmentvias 504A-B, which are placed along a diagonal from the array 500 of thecells 502 and the array 501 of the vias 216. This permits determinationof misalignment in x and y directions as well as determination ofrotational misalignment.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an alignment target structure 503 suchas an x-y alignment grid array 800 with I/O structures 806 that aresized and pitched identically to the I/O structures 406 of FIG. 5A.However, the I/O structures 806 are individually addressable so as to beable to detect the location contacted by the alignment via 504 which, asillustrated in the example of FIG. 8, will only contact one, two, three,or four of the I/O structures 806. Knowing this information about themisalignment of the alignment via 504 with respect to its grid array800, one can determine the actual misalignment of the vias 216 withrespect to the array 500 and, knowing this information enables properrouting of the twenty-four I/O lines on the IC in the example of FIG. 5Ato the twenty-four vias 216 illustrated in the example of FIG. 5A.

In FIG. 8, the location contacted by the alignment via 504 can bedetermined, in certain examples, by one-by-one interrogation of the I/Ostructures 806. In another example, a signal can be injected at thealignment via 504, and the particular I/O structure(s) 806 contacted bythe alignment via 504 can be determined by reading row and columnaddressing lines associated with the array 800 of I/O structures 806.

Using a single alignment target structure 503A, such as a singlealignment grid array 800, permits the amount of X and Y misalignment tobe determined at the location of the corresponding alignment via 504A.In another example, such as shown in FIG. 5C, a pair of alignment targetstructures 503A-B are used, along with a corresponding pair of alignmentvias 504A-B. In the example of FIG. 5C, the alignment target structures503A-B are located on opposing sides of the array 500, such as atdiagonally opposing locations, as an illustrative example. Using two ormore alignment target structures 503 enables determination of arotational error term, called “theta”, as well as the center-of-rotationX and Y displacement terms. The X, y, and theta information can becalculated by analyzing the location information of the alignment vias504. This information, in turn, can be used to calculate themisalignment of the vias 216 with respect to the array 500. Suchinformation, in turn, can be used to program the desired routing for thevias 216, in spite of the pick-and-place or other misalignment of thevias 216 with respect to the array 500.

The example described herein, such as for example with respect to FIGS.4-8, illustrates particular sizes and numbers only for the benefit ofproviding a conceptually clear concrete example to the reader. Otherimplementations can use different sizes, different numbers orarrangements of I/O lines, I/O structures, vias, or the like. Moreover,although the above examples have used “vias” as the I/O structures,certain of the above techniques can also apply to using other I/Ostructures, such as “bumps” instead of “vias”.

Some Other Examples, Variations, and Improvements:

The above description included examples of planarizing multipleintegrated circuit die, such as by placing the front sides of the dieagainst a planarizing wafer through which a vacuum is applied. Inanother example, a magnetic force can be used for performing suchplanarization, such as by placing the front sides of the die against aplanarizing wafer, placing a magnetic paste or other magnetic materialon the back sides of the die, or on the film behind the die, andapplying a magnet to the side of the planarizing wafer that is away fromthe front sides of the die to create a magnetic field that holds thefront sides of the die against the planarizing wafer.

In another example, the process described above with respect to FIG. 1can be modified. At 102, the multiple IC die can be placed onto aremovable adhesive tape carrier, such as by using an automated IC diepick-and-place apparatus to perform the placement. Then, removableadhesive tape or another barrier can be placed against the IC diefronts, before the IC die fronts are planarized at 104. The order ofthese two operations can be reversed, such that the IC die areautomatically picked-and-placed such that their die fronts (with theactive area of the circuitry) contacts a first adhesive tape, and asecond adhesive tape is then placed over the IC die backs, then the diefronts are placed against a planarizing surface, such as a pinhole waferthrough which a vacuum can be applied. A liquid filler can be injectedinto the streets between the IC die to bond the IC die together, and theliquid filler can be at least cured to harden, such as at least in partwhile the IC die fronts are being planarized at 104, At 106, theadhesive tape carriers can be removed (e.g., both frontside andbackside). Thus, in certain examples, the IC die need not be attached toa substrate, such that acts 108, 110, 112, and 114 of FIG. 1 canoptionally be omitted. This can help avoid warpage, such as can possiblyoccur when the die are adhesively attached to a wafer substrate.

FIG. 9 illustrates generally in more detail certain aspects of anillustrative example of portions of such a method of forming an assemblyof multiple laterally attached and planarized IC die. At 900, apick-and-place machine can be used to automatically pick-and-place ICdie onto an adhesive tape carrier, such that the die fronts (withrespective “active areas” including circuitry) are placed down such thatthey contact and stick to an adhesive side of a polyimide or otheradhesive tape. This provides a desired arrangement of multiple IC die,such as to permit subsequent interconnecting of adjacent IC die. Withthe die fronts contacting the adhesive side of the adhesive tape, thenon-adhesive other side of the adhesive tape can be placed against aplanarizing surface to substantially planarized the die fronts, such asdescribed below. FIG. 10A shows an example in which IC die 1000A, 1000B,1000C, etc. have been mechanically picked-and-placed, active side down,onto an adhesive side of an adhesive tape carrier 1002.

At 902 in FIG. 9, a non-adhesive side of the adhesive tape carrier canbe placed against a planarizing surface such as, for example, a flatpinhole wafer through which a vacuum can be applied. The vacuum pullsthe tape toward the planarizing surface and, through the tape,substantially aligns the surfaces of the front sides of the IC die,which are attached to the adhesive side of the tape. The tape can becompliant enough to substantially maintain planarity of the IC diefronts even while accommodating particles as large as 0.002 inchesbetween the non-adhesive side of the tape and the planarizing surface.Such particles can tend to be partially or completely embedded in thethickness of the tape. FIG. 10B shows an example in which the IC dieshows an example in which IC die 1000A, 1000B, 1000C, etc. have beenmechanically picked-and-placed, active side down, onto an adhesive sideof an adhesive tape carrier 1002, which is drawn against a flat wafer1004 with through-pinholes through which a vacuum can be applied. Thewafer 1004 rests in a receptacle of a vacuum fixture 1006, whichincludes passages 1008 that communicate with the through-pinholes in theflat wafer 1004 for applying a vacuum.

At 904, another piece of polyimide or other adhesive tape can be appliedto stick to the back sides of the plurality of IC die that werepicked-and-placed at 900. The adhesive tape can be compliant enough toaccommodate varying IC die thicknesses of the IC die that are sandwichedbetween the two layers of adhesive tape. In certain examples, thesandwich of the two layers of adhesive tape can even accommodate thelarger or smaller thicknesses of any discrete components, different thanIC die, that were also optionally picked-and-placed at 900.

At 906, a “pocket” is formed around the array of IC die that aresandwiched between the two layers of adhesive tape. In an illustrativeexample, a three-sided pocket can be formed by adhering the back-sidetape (attached to the back-sides of the IC die) to the front-side tape(attached to the front-sides of the IC die) along three sides of afour-sided perimeter about a square or rectangular array ofpicked-and-placed IC die. In another illustrative example, a four-sidedpocket can similarly be formed by adhering the back-side tape to thefront-side tape along all four sides of the four-sided perimeter aboutthe square or rectangular array of sandwiched picked-and-placed IC die.In either case, this can be performed while the front-side tape is beingdrawn toward the planarizing surface by the applied vacuum.

If the front-side tape is maintained substantially flat against theplanarizing surface, including at the perimeter of the array ofpicked-and-placed IC die, and the back-side tape tapers toward thefront-side tape at an approximately 45 degree angle, then there can be asubstantial open volume along the peripheral “seams” of the three-sidedor four-sided pocket, which will allow a fluid adhesive to flow nicelytherethrough. For example, if the IC die are about 0.009 inches thick,then the cross-sectional area through which a fluid adhesive can flowalong the pocket seams will be about (0.009×0.009)/2=0.0000405 squareinches. In certain examples, there is more cross-sectional areaavailable for a fluid adhesive to flow through along the seams of thepocket than in the streets between the IC die. This permits the fluidadhesive to fill in along the seams first, before filling in thestreets. This can be used to avoid trapping air bubbles within the fluidadhesive, as described below. FIG. 10C shows an example in which asecond piece of adhesive tape 1010 has been placed over the IC die1000A, showing the open cross-sectional areas of parallel seams 1012.

At 908, the flat pocket can be inclined at an angle. This can make useof gravity when introducing a fluid adhesive into the pocket. In certainexamples, an incline of about 45 degrees can be used. This need notinvolve using a planarizing surface other than the tape. For example, ifthe IC die were planarized against a pinhole wafer through which avacuum were applied, such vacuum can be removed, and the taped pocketcan then be removed from the pinhole wafer planarizing surface beforeinclining. However, in certain examples, inclining does involve placingthe flat pocket (carrying the sandwiched IC die) against the planarizingflat pinhole wafer, through which a vacuum is applied. The planarizingflat pinhole wafer can be inclined, so as to incline the flat pocketcarrying the sandwiched IC die.

At 910, a fluid adhesive is introduced into the inclined pocket. Forexample, if a three-sided pocket is used, the fluid adhesive can beintroduced into the open side of the pocket, which can be oriented atthe top of the incline, such that the fluid flows down along one of theseams forming a side of the pocket. In another example, in which afour-sided pocket is used, a small opening can be formed at the top ofthe incline at one of the side seams running down the incline. A syringecan be inserted into the small opening to deliver the fluid adhesiveinto the pocket along the side seam running down the incline. In certainexamples, a second small opening can be formed at the top of the inclineat the other of the side seams running down the incline. A secondsyringe can be inserted into this second small opening and used toactively or passively exhaust air from the pocket as the fluid adhesiveis being introduced through the other opening via the other syringe. Incertain examples, introducing the fluid adhesive includes injecting #377low viscosity epoxy from Epotek. This can be done at an elevatedtemperature, such as a temperature that is between about 60 to 80degrees Celsius, for example. Because of the relatively largecross-sectional area available along the seams, the fluid filler cantend to flow in the pocket down the incline along the side seam intowhich the fluid filler is introduced, then along the bottom seam, andthen up the incline along the opposing side seam, at least in part,before flowing into the narrower streets between the IC die in thetwo-dimensional array of IC die. This inclined arrangement helps thefiller flow evenly into the streets between the IC die. It also allowsair to be expelled upward along the incline and out the top of thepocket, such as via the exhaust syringe arrangement described above.This helps avoid air bubbles becoming entrapped in the epoxy filler inthe streets. When the streets have been filled, injection of the fillercan be stopped, and the injector can be pulled away. Then, if desired,the tape can (but need not) be used to close off the fourth side of thepocket. FIG. 10D shows an example of injection of a fluid filler at anincline, such as by using a syringe or other injection source 1014. Thisresults in filling in the streets between the IC die, while the frontsides remain in substantially planar alignment, substantially withoutalso continuously filling regions under back sides of the first andsecond integrated circuit die, which can add thermal stress and canresult in warpage.

At 912, the filler is soft-baked to help partially cure the filler, suchas at an elevated temperature of between about 80 degrees Celsius andabout 160 degrees Celsius, such as for a time period of less than about2 hours. Additionally or alternatively, a ultraviolet (UV) light energycan optionally be used to partially cure or help partially cure aUV-curable filler (e.g., other than #377) if desired. The soft-bake forcuring the filler is performed while the taped (3-sided or 4-sided)pocket of IC die is held firmly against a planarizing surface, such as apinhole wafer through which a vacuum is applied, with the front sides ofthe IC die toward the planarizing surface. After removing the vacuumfrom the pinhole wafer, the taped pocket can then be pulled away fromthe planarizing surface, flipped over, and placed and vacuum-heldagainst the planarizing surface with the back sides of the IC die towardthe planarizing surface.

At 914, the tape is removed from the front-sides of the IC die, leavingthe assembly as shown in the example of FIG. 10E, in which the IC die1000 have their die fronts (with active areas) facing up, and the diebacks vacuum-drawn toward the planarizing pinhole wafer 1004 through theback-side tape 1010. If the topology resulting from varying thickness ICdie or other components is too severe to hold a vacuum via a planarizingwafer, another technique of holding can be used. The die fronts areoptionally cleaned, such as to reduce or remove any residue left behindby the adhesive tape. This can include using a solvent, such asisopropyl alcohol, that does not adversely impact the epoxy or otherfiller in the streets between the IC die. After removing the vacuum fromthe pinhole wafer, the back-side taped array of IC die can then bepulled away from the planarizing surface, flipped over, and placed andheld against the planarizing surface with the front sides of the IC diefacing toward and held against the planarizing surface by the appliedvacuum.

At 916, the die fronts are placed against the planarizing surface, suchas the pinhole wafer through which a vacuum can be applied, such asshown in the example of FIG. 10F. While the IC die fronts are drawntoward the planarizing surface, such by the vacuum, the epoxy filler canbe further cured in a “hard-bake”, such as at an elevated temperature ofbetween about 180 to 220 degrees Celsius for a time period that is lessthan about 1 hour.

At 918, the back-side tape is removed (either before or after thehard-bake of 916), such as while the IC die fronts are still being heldagainst the planarizing surface, leaving the assembly as shown in theexample of FIG. 10G. Then, the vacuum is removed. This permits removalof the assembly of a plurality IC die that are joined togetherlaterally, at this juncture, by only the epoxy filler in the streetsbetween the IC die, and along the peripheral seams or edges of the arrayof IC die. The IC die fronts can then be optionally cleaned, if desired,such as by using a solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol, that does notadversely impact the epoxy or other filler in the streets between the ICdie.

At 920, the assembly of the plurality of IC die (which are joinedtogether, at this juncture, by only the epoxy filler in the streets) isplaced onto a spin stand compatible fixture or chuck 1030, such as shownin the example of FIG. 1011, such as with the die fronts facing outward.In certain examples, the assembly of the plurality of the IC die can bea square or rectangular array (or any combination of such square orrectangular arrays), which can be placed in a similarly-sized square orrectangular recess of circular disk-like chuck, which can be made from asemiconductor wafer. The chuck, and the assembly of the plurality of ICdie, which is carried by the chuck, can be spun while a liquid insulatoris applied, such as described below.

At 922, a monolithic insulator 1032 can be formed across the IC diefronts and across the streets between the die fronts, such as shown inthe example of FIG. 1011. In certain examples, this can includespinning-on an insulator, such as a negative or positive photoresist orabout 1 μm to 5 μm thick layer of Avatrel®. Using a circular disk-likechuck (into which the assembly of the plurality of joined IC die isplaced into a recess), instead of merely spinning the square orrectangular assembly of IC die, helps reduce or avoid stringing of thespun-on material.

At 924, the Avatrel® can be photolithographically exposed and developedto form via regions at desired locations over the IC die, such asexplained above. In certain examples, the Avatrel® provides a negativephotoresist material that can be photolithographically developed,however, if available, a positive photoresist material can be used. Ineither case, the vias in the monolithic insulator permit interconnectionof different IC die in the assembly of the plurality of IC die, which,at this juncture, is connected by the filler in the streets and thecommonly overlaid insulator that was spun-on or otherwise formed. Thevias need not be formed photolithographically. If desired, the vias canbe formed by reactive ion-etching. In another example, the vias can beformed by nano-imprinting. The spun-on Avatrel® with the vias formedtherein can then be cured at an elevated temperature, such as at atemperature between about 180 degrees Celsius and about 240 degreesCelsius.

At 926, a metal or other conductive layer is selectively formed, orformed and selectively removed, such as to interconnect desired vias, toform contact structures, or to perform another desired circuit function.In certain examples, this can include deposition of metal, such as canbe performed in semiconductor wafer processing. In certain examples,this can include electroless plating (e.g., of Al, Cu, or anotherdesired metal), which can provide better step coverage, particularly insteeply defined vias that can result from photolithographically exposingAvatrel®. Additional insulator or conductive layers can then be formed,such as described above. Multiple layers of insulator and metallizationcan be formed, as desired. For example, a Damascene or dual-Damasceneprocess can be used to selectively provide multiple layers of insulatorand metallization, as desired.

Pairs or other pluralities of IC die can be sawed apart or otherwiseseparated, as desired, and packaged, if desired. The die caninterconnect to each other at high inter-die I/O interconnect densities,as explained above.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating generally an example ofusing the present technique to retrofit a connection to the existing ICdie—even to a minimum linewidth conductive line on the existing IC die.In FIG. 11, a top layer metal or other conductive internal (on-IC die)interconnection line 1000 on an existing IC die has a minimum linewidth1002 permitted by a semiconductor process, such as, for example, 0.5micrometers, as an illustrative example. The line 1000 is covered by aan overlying insulating dielectric layer, such as can be used to providescratch protection for the IC die. The overlying insulating dielectriclayer can be reduced in profile, if needed, to accommodate RIEvia-definition therethrough, or an IC die without final passivation canbe used, if desired. In this example, the line 1000 extendslongitudinally in an X-dimension on the IC die.

To retrofit a connection to the existing on-IC line 1000, such as forinterconnecting the IC to another IC, or for making a jumper betweenlines on a single IC, a plurality of vias 1004 can be formed through theoverlying dielectric, such as by using reactive ion etching (RIE) usingthe underlying metal line as an etch-stop. In the illustrative examplein which the linewidth 1002 is 0.5 micrometers, the vias 1004 can be0.16 micrometers by 0.16 micrometers. The vias 1004 can be filled, suchas by depositing a metal and then planarizing to remove such depositedmetal from the regions on the dielectric between the vias 1004. Incertain examples, the formation of vias 1004 can be performed as asemiconductor processing step by the manufacturer of the IC die uponwhich the line 1000 resides.

Then, as described above, the Avatrel® or insulator can be spun-on orotherwise formed, such as to form a monolithic insulator that extendsacross multiple IC die, in certain examples. A via 1006 can bephotolithographically created (such as described above) or otherwisecreated in the monolithic insulator. A metal line can be formed in thevia 1006 and extending elsewhere, as desired, such as to interconnectthe minimum linewidth line 1000 to another location on the same IC die,or to a location on another IC die in an assembly of IC die, such asdescribed above.

Since the assembly of IC die can be formed using a mechanicalpick-and-place process, as described above, the via 1006 in themonolithic insulator can be sized to accommodate registrationmisalignment due to the mechanical pick-and-place process, as well as toprovide the desired via size. For example, if the underlying line 1000extends in the X-dimension, then the via 1006 can be formed to have avia dimension 1008 in the orthogonal direction (e.g., the Y-dimension)that accommodates a pick-and-place tolerance, plus the desired minimumvia size to provide a desired orthogonal overlap of the line 1000. As anillustrative example, if the pick-and-place tolerance is +/−25micrometers, and the desired minimum via size to provide the desiredorthogonal overlap of the line 1000 is 8 micrometers, then the viadimension 1008 can be 25 micrometers+25 micrometers+8 micrometers=58micrometers.

If the underlying line extends in the Y-dimension, then the structureshown in FIG. 11 can be rotated by 90 degrees, and the via dimension1008 can be sized to accommodate pick-and-place tolerance in suchdirection.

Some Further Examples, Variations, and Improvements:

In the example of FIG. 5A, instead of forming vias 216, similarly-sizedconnections to the underlying I/O structures 406 can instead be madeusing a separate overlying integrated circuit die, such as on whichbumped or raised connections can be provided (e.g., instead of the vias216) to electrically connect to the I/O structures 406, which can alsobe bumped or raised. This can provide for repairable or reconfigurableconnection to the I/O structures 406.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a first integrated circuit die 1202 that caninclude a working surface that can include a plurality of bumped orraised I/O structures 1406, such as corresponding to the locations ofthe I/O structures 406 described above with respect to FIG. 5A. A secondintegrated circuit die 1204 can include a facing working surfaceincluding a plurality of structures for providing bumped or raisedconnections 1216. The bumped or raised connections 1216 on the secondintegrated circuit die 1204 can correspond to the locations of the vias216, such as described above with respect to FIG. 5A. Electrical contactcan be made between the bumped or raised connections 1216 and theadjacent facing bumped or raised I/O structures 1406, such as by thermalbonding, e.g., using tin regions 1220 that can be located on the bumpedor raised I/O structures 1406. In this way, the bumped or raisedconnections 1216 can serve a similar purpose to the vias 216 of FIG. 5A,which can permit the second integrated circuit die 1204 to serve as aninterconnect die that can be bonded to the first integrated circuit die1202. The second integrated circuit die 1204 can provide programmabilityto address any misalignment, such as described in detail above withrespect to the other examples. In case of connectivity failure betweenthe first integrated circuit die 1202 and the second integrated circuitdie 1204, or any other need for reconfiguration, the second integratedcircuit die 1204 can be de-bonded from the first integrated circuit die1202, and optionally replaced, re-aligned, or otherwise re-adjusted, andre-bonded to the first integrated circuit die 1202 as desired. This canprovide repairability or reconfigurability, if so desired.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a first integrated circuit die 1202 that caninclude a working surface that can include a plurality of bumped orraised I/O structures 1406, such as corresponding to the locations ofthe I/O structures 406 described above with respect to FIG. 5A. A secondintegrated circuit die 1204 can include a facing working surfaceincluding a plurality of through-substrate via (TSV) structures forproviding connections 1316. The via connections 1316 on the secondintegrated circuit die 1204 can correspond to the locations of the vias216, such as described above with respect to FIG. 5A. The TSV structurescan include a second metal (M2) layer extending from the working surfaceof the second integrated circuit die 1204 to its backside (an underlyingfirst metal (M1) layer on the backside can also be provided, separatedby an inter-metal insulator from the M2, and selectively coupled theretothrough vias in the inter-metal insulator). The backside of the secondintegrated circuit die 1204 can include a plurality of bumped or raisedI/O structures 1406, such as corresponding to the locations of the I/Ostructures 406 described above with respect to FIG. 5A. A thirdintegrated circuit die 1304 can include a facing working surfaceincluding a plurality of through silicon via (TSV) structures forproviding connections 1366. The via connections 1366 on the thirdintegrated circuit die 1304 can correspond to the locations of the vias216, such as described above with respect to FIG. 5A. Instead of a thirdintegrated circuit die 1304 with TSV structures, an integrated circuitdie similar to the second integrated circuit die 1204 shown in FIG. 12can be used. Using various combinations of the techniques orarrangements shown in FIGS. 12-13, vertical IC die stacking can be used,such as in combination with horizontal IC die placement, to achieve ahigh degree of interconnectability between various IC die as desired.

Other Notes:

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and notrestrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (or one ormore aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Also,although the above description has emphasized that it may beadvantageous to photolithographically define the vias in the monolithicfirst insulator over the first and second integrated circuit die, andthat RIE is not needed, RIE can be used, if desired. If it is desired toperform such RIE through the monolithic first insulator over a regionthat extends beyond an underlying metal pad, for example, an aluminumnitride or other barrier metal can be used as an etch stop, to stopetching in the region that extends outside of the underlying metal pador region. Also, although FIG. 4 illustrates 80 μm by 80 μm metalbonding pads, current state of the art technology can provide smallerbonding pads, such as 40 μm by 40 μm bonding pads, for example, andfurther downward scaling is possible. Also, although the abovedescription has emphasized an example in which vias are formed byphoto-developing the Avatrel®, in another example, a monolithic layer ofAvatrel® is formed and cured, then a layer of photoresist is formedthereupon, such as by spinning-on, and the photoresist isphoto-developed to define via regions, and RIE is used through such aphotoresist mask to then create the vias in the Avatrel®. Othervariations are also possible.

Other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art uponreviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should,therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, alongwith the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Inthe appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used asthe plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and“wherein.” Also, in the following claims, the terms “including” and“comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, orprocess that includes elements in addition to those listed after such aterm in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim.Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and“third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to imposenumerical requirements on their objects.

The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b), whichrequires that it allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of thetechnical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that itwill not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may begrouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not beinterpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature isessential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in lessthan all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, thefollowing claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description,with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

1. (canceled)
 2. An apparatus comprising: a first integrated circuit, comprising a first I/O arrangement of conductive first input/output structures of like respective areas, A, on the first integrated circuit that are configured to respectively carry distinct signals; an interconnection structure, located for making at least one electrical connection to the first I/O arrangement, the interconnection structure comprising a second I/O arrangement of conductive second input/output structures of respective areas, B, that are configured to respectively carry distinct signals, wherein the area B is larger than the area A; and wherein the first integrated circuit is configured to select which of the conductive first input/output structures electrically conductively communicates using which of the second input/output structures.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a second integrated circuit including at least a portion stacked against the first integrated circuit, wherein the second integrated circuit includes the second input/output structures.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the interconnection structure comprises a first insulator between the first and second integrated circuit die; and wherein the second input/output structures comprise first vias extending through the first insulator layer.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second input/output structures comprise bumps on a second integrated circuit adjacent the first integrated circuit.
 6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second input/output structures comprise vias in a first insulator adjacent the first input/output structures.
 7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the first I/O arrangement comprises a two-dimensional first I/O array of the conductive first input/output structures, the two dimensional first I/O array defining a first area; and the second I/O arrangement comprises a two-dimensional second I/O array of the conductive second input/output structures, the two dimensional second I/O array defining a second area, wherein the first area is larger than the second area.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first area is larger than the second area by an amount that accommodates an error tolerance of an integrated circuit die pick-and-place apparatus, such that the second area is capable of being overlaid or underlaid within the first area when the first integrated circuit is placed into position using the pick-and-place apparatus.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising: a first two-dimensional alignment array of addressable contacts; a first alignment structure in the interconnection structure, the first alignment structure sized for connecting to a single one of the addressable contacts in the first two-dimensional alignment array; and an alignment detection circuit, configured to address the contacts in the first two-dimensional alignment array to determine alignment information based upon determining which of the contacts in the first two-dimensional alignment array is aligned to and electrically connected with the first alignment structure.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising a programming circuit that is coupled to the alignment detection circuit and configured to use alignment information from the alignment detection circuit to select which of the plurality of conductive first input/output structures under the second input/output s c u e electrically conductively communicates using the second input/output structure.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising: a second two-dimensional alignment array of addressable contacts; a second alignment structure, the second alignment structure sized for connecting to a single one of the addressable contacts in the second two-dimensional alignment array; and wherein the alignment detection circuit is also configured address the contacts in the second two-dimensional alignment array to determine the alignment information based upon determining which of the contacts in the second two-dimensional alignment array is aligned to and electrically connected with the second alignment structure.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first and second two-dimensional alignment arrays are located on the first integrated circuit with a plurality of the conductive input/output structures on the first integrated circuit located between the first and second two-dimensional alignment arrays.
 13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of conductive first input/output structures on the first integrated circuit includes a plurality of bumped or raised I/O structures.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second input/output structures respectively include a bumped or raised electrical connection that are respectively electrically coupled to the bumped or raised electrical connections of the first input/output structures.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of conductive first input/output structures on the first integrated circuit includes a plurality of bumped or raised I/O structures that are removably thermally bonded to the bumped or raised electrical connection of the second input/output structures.
 16. An apparatus comprising: a first integrated circuit die, comprising a first I/O arrangement of conductive first input/output structures of like respective areas, A, on the first integrated circuit that are configured to respectively carry distinct signals; an interconnection structure, adjacent the two-dimensional first I/O arrangement, the interconnection structure comprising a second I/O arrangement of conductive second input/output structures of respective areas, B, that are configured to respectively carry distinct signals, wherein the area B is larger than the area A; wherein the first integrated circuit is configured to select which of the plurality of conductive first input/output structures communicates with which of the second input/output structures; and a second integrated circuit die, stacked against the first integrated circuit die, wherein the interconnection structure provides electrical communication of a plurality of distinct electrical signals between the stacked first and second integrated circuit die.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second input/output structures comprises only one of: bumps on a second integrated circuit overlaying or underlaying the first integrated circuit; or vias in a first insulator overlaying or underlaying first input/output structures.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein: the first I/O arrangement comprises a two-dimensional first I/O array of the conductive first input/output structures, the two dimensional first I/O array defining a first area; and the second I/O arrangement comprises a two-dimensional second I/O array of the conductive second input/output structures, the two dimensional second I/O array defining a second area, wherein the first area is larger than the second area.
 19. An apparatus comprising: a first integrated circuit die, comprising a first I/O arrangement of conductive first input/output structures of like respective areas, A, on the first integrated circuit that are configured to respectively carry distinct signals; an interconnection structure, located with respect to the two-dimensional first I/O arrangement, the interconnection structure comprising a second I/O arrangement of conductive second input/output structures of respective areas, that are configured to respectively carry distinct signals, wherein the area B s larger than the area A; wherein the first integrated circuit is configured to select which of the plurality of conductive first input/output structures electrically communicates with which of the second input/output structures; and wherein: the first I/O arrangement comprises a first I/O array of the conductive first input/output structures, the first I/O array defining a first area; and the second I/O arrangement comprises a second I/O array of the conductive second input/output structures, the second I/O array defining a second area, wherein the first area is larger than the second area.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, comprising a second integrated circuit, vertically attached to the first integrated circuit die, wherein the interconnection structure provides electrical communication of a plurality of distinct electrical signals between the first and second vertically attached integrated circuit die.
 21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second input/output structures comprises only one of: bumps on a second integrated circuit overlaying or underlaying the first integrated circuit; or vias in a first insulator overlaying the first input/output structures. 